Video: The Inspiring Story of Havildar Hangpan Dada Who Died Fighting Terrorists

Havildar Hangpan Dada’s story is a master class on courage under fire. The soldier from the Assam Regiment valiantly took on four terrorists last year in Jammu and Kashmir before laying his own life down in the mountains. It’s a story every Indian needs to be familiar with.

And now a documentary released on Republic Day is trying to accomplish just that.

It was in May of 2016 that Havildar killed three terrorists and seriously injured a fourth one before losing his life at 12,500 feet. The story is even more incredible because despite the fact that he had been grievously hurt after combating two of the terrorists, he still entered a hand-to-hand combat with the third one. For his feat, he was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously, which is the highest peacetime award recognising gallantry and valour.

His widow accepted it on his behalf on January 26, during the Republic Day Parade, from Pranab Mukherjee, the president of India.

The documentary about Havildar does not just focus on his confrontation with the terrorists but also gives viewers a glimpse into the life of a man who was affectionately called Dada. Speaking to Times of India, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, deputy chief of Army staff, said, “In the documentary, his widow recalls how Dada would call her up whenever he was within range of a mobile tower. She also speaks of the last call she received from him. The pastor from his village also recalls how Dada asked him to pray for him before leaving for Kashmir. Soldiers who worked with Dada also recalled their experiences in the documentary. I feel that everybody should watch it.”

The video, which has been published on YouTube, has gone viral with more than 60,000 views in less than 48 hours with many expressing their gratitude to Dada and other soldiers who bravely put their lives on the line to protect the rest of the country.

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